Chance Encounters
by greenminnie
Summary: A/U: Kagome, a hardworking bakery owner meets an incredibly unique (and handsome) stranger on a dark, foggy night in a dimly lit alley. Who is he, and how does this encounter change her life? Please read and review! Updates shall be swift! Could turn lemony, so rating M. Thanks for reading the summary at least! ;)
1. Chance Encounter

So, this is an idea I had for a story. I'm not sure if it is any good, and I would love opinions! Please read, and please review!

GreenMinnie o3

Kagome stared wearily down the long, dark, wet street. She dreaded the walk home from work, as she was never totally sure she would make it back to her apartment. _"Not that it's such a great place to be anyway," _Kagome thought to herself, as she clutched her black carrier bag close to her body. It protuded oddly beneath her knee-length coat, and brushed against the pocket of her jeans. With a smile, Kagome reached into her pocket to feel the familiar item. The smooth, opalescent piece of petrified wood felt cool against her thumb. She'd found this one day on the beach, twelve or so years ago. It brought back flashing images of her mother's face. Sighing, Kagome braced herself, and walked briskly down the street.

She could see her apartment up ahead. The lights in the windows seemed so warm and inviting, and Kagome wistfully thought about being home with a bowl of warm soup and a good book. Perhaps a mystery, or a-

A shadow caught Kagome's eye, bringing her from her thoughts. She started to walk at quicker pace, almost a jog now. Without warning, a shape emerged from the darkness in front of her.

Kagome came to an abrupt stop, and had just started to back away when a cold, calm voice said, "Hold on now, girlie," a hand reached out and grabbed Kagome's shoulder, pulling her forward sharply. She felt her face pressed against a hard, unforgiving chest. She had squeezed her eyes shut tightly as the outstretched hand had seized her, and now she opened them a crack, and saw, to her slight surprise and mild pleasure, a sea of silver. Eyes opening even wider, Kagome's gaze followed the waves of silver up to their source. A face looked down at her. A very handsome face, she thought. And, _"He has ears!"_ She noted excitedly. _"They're...adorable."_

"Now, Ki- oh. You're not-" The lips on the face seemed to be moving, making sound. Kagome realized they were speaking to her. She shook her head to clear her mind of her distracting thoughts and current confusion.

"Wh-what is the meaning of this?" She stammered a little, but still managed to sound quite indignant.

"I apologize, I thought you were someone else." Smirking, the man leaned down, his face coming quite close to hers. "Perhaps, you've never seen a demon before? Or even a half demon?"

Kagome placed her hands on her hips, her temper getting the better of her common sense. "I'll have you know that I have met demons before, in fact quite a few of them are customers of mine and-" she stopped. What was she doing? It was almost 11:00, and here she was, in a dark alley arguing quite boldly with a total stranger! She furrowed her brow and crossed her arms across her chest. "I'll... be going now." She murmered slowly. As she side-stepped the figure, she caught a glimpse of his golden eyes and strong face.

As she ran down the street, she felt he had not followed.

She was right. The figure turned, walked down the street, hands in his coat pockets, whistling.

I will do my best to update promptly! Please do have some patience with my typing, as I am using a tablet. :P Thanks all!


	2. Last Night

****Hi! So, as y'all know, I own NO original Inuyasha characters, etc...****

**So, this is my tentative second chapter to my story. :) I LOVE reviews. Thanks to the positive review I recieved, I totally got excited and wrote more. Anyway, I still want feedback and criticism. Thanks so much to everyone who reads, reviews, or even thinks about somday reading my story. ^_^**

Inuyasha ground his teeth together in frustration. Late! No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he always managed to be late on important days. He gripped his briefcase tightly as he ran down the busy city street, avoiding crowds of chattering teenagers, errant baby strollers, and other rushing business men. Last night had been eventful. First, the fight with Kikyo, and then that uncomfortable accidental encounter with that girl.

Inuyasha sighed as he recalled the directions in his head. He noticed that he appeared to be in the same neighborhood as he'd visited last night. _"Kikyo's apartment is right around here. I remember the first time I came here I was totally lost. And late." _The half-demon chuckled softly. Then, his thoughts drifted back to the previous topic.

It was his fault. He could admit that now. (Not out loud, of course.) If Kikyo wanted to take her studies abroad, that was her choice. Who was he to hold her back? It would be a horrible thing to do, he decided.

"Ah!" he cried aloud. "this is the place. Higurashi Bakery." He reached for the door, and was suprised to have it slide open, quite forcefully in fact, before his fingers even reached the weathered wooden door. A man attempted to hurry through the doorway.

"Thanks for the-Ouch!" the two had collided, knocking them both onto their backsides. Inuyasha was up in an instant. He reached out a hand to help the other man off the ground, when he realized who it was.

"Miroku,"he laughed, "I'm almost sorry for running you down, but how can you expect me to be on time when you choose a place like this?"

"Ah, my good friend," The man brushed some dirt off of his vest before reaching up to straighten his tie. "You know, a good dining establishment is not always just about the food. It is also about atmosphere. Yes... Atmosphere."

"Pretty waitresses?" Inuyasha raised his eyebrow, as he yet again reached for the wooden door. He slid it open, and entered the small bakery, leaving Miroku to stutter and stammer behind him.

"Why, Inuyasha!" Miroku protested "How could you even think...?" He paused, realizing his friend was not even listening. He was staring at the girl behind the counter. "Hmm... and so quick to judge me."

Inuyasha was shocked. It was her! That girl he'd accidentally accosted in that alleyway. Why on earth hadn't he noticed the area was so familiar? How stupid of him and-

"Miroku" He hissed, relieved the lady was busy tending to two other customers, and had not noticed their presence yet. "Miroku, perhaps we should go somewhere else?"

"But-"

"Now!" Inuyasha gripped his friend's arm tightly and spun the two of them around towards the exit.

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Kagome looked up just in time to see a glimpse of silver hair disappear out the door.

"How much will that be?"

"Wha- oh!"Kagome flushed with embarassment. The elderly woman she had been helping at the counter was holding out some money expectantly. "Ah... Yes, here is your change."

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"Inuyasha," Miroku spoke quite calmly, given that he was being hurried down the street at a break-neck pace. "May I ask what the hell is the matter with you?"

"Hrmph." Inuyasha growled in response.

"I'd like an answer to that question, if you please!" Miroku side-stepped a hand-holding couple, just in time to get his toes stepped on by a group of small rowdy boys, no doubt on their way home from school. "Ouch! Alright, that's it! I'm not taking another step until-"

"I've met her. Kind of." Inuyasha stopped abruptly, turning to look at his friend. "It was... Uncomfortable."

"Well,"Miroku paused, surveying their surroundings. "I say we actually have some lunch, or early dinner as the case may be now, and you tell me all about it.'

"No." Inuyasha turned, pulling out his cell phone. "I'm calling a cab."

"If you don't tell me, Inuyasha."Miroku said coldly, "I will tell your brother you never bothered to show up at all. He is waiting for confirmation of your arrival. I didn't have a chance to notify him before you whisked me out of that 'uncomfortable' bakery." He grinned, pulling out his own phone.

"Fine! But if you so much as hint to anyone about this... incident, you will be so very, deeply sorry."'

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Kagome sighed with delight, as she sunk into the warm tub. The bathroom was small, but well lit. She closed her eyes, relieved to be home. "What a day!" she laughed to herself. "So many customers, but, somehow, it just never seems like enough." She shrugged mentally, forcing out the unhappy thoughts that had begun to creep into her mind. No reason to ruin a good bath with stress.

An hour later, she lifted herself out of the now luke-warm water, and grabbed the first of two towels sitting on the lid of toilet. Wrapping it around herself, she grabbed another towel for her hair, and walked into the small living/dining area of her apartment. It was a small room, with a small kitchen partially sectioned off with a counter. The table and the television, while also not very large, seemed to fill up most of the space.

Kagome did not mind the close quarters. She did not need frivolous things to be a satisfied individual, or so she adamantly told herself every time she found herself wanting for more. Sitting down at the low table, Kagome let her mind wander to the topic that had be hanging over her head for the whole day. "Who was that-guy?" She sighed. _"The nerve of that guy! Asking if I'd seen a demon before. Acting like I was the weird one! I'm not the one grabbing people on their way home from work, am I?!" _She narrowed her eyes. What a jerk. _"But, that's neither here nor there. Not like I'll be seeing him again."_

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"You what?! You grabbed her-" Miroku roared with laughter. He laughed so hard, small bits of spaghetti flew out of his mouth. He was laughing so hard, he didn't even care.

"Yes."Inuyasha grunted, impatiently. "Yes, I grabbed her, would you _please _stop laughing?!" His only reply was more laughter. Miroku was clutching his sides letting out gales of laughter. "Stop. Laughing. NOW!" Inuyasha banged his fist on the table, causing other customers to turn their heads and a few to whisper.

"Em, yes." Miroku elegantly dabbed the corners of his mouth with his napkin, still unable to reign in his large grin. "Ah, Inuyasha, you have such a way with the fairer sex."

"Uh huh." Inuyasha closed his eyes, and rubbed his temples. Oh how he wished he could kick his good friend in the shin right about now.

"So," Miroku straightened out, his face becoming far more serious. "About Kikyo..."

"She's going to England to study culture and literature. I...don't like it, but I can't really stop her. We're 'taking a break' until she gets back supposedly."

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry." Miroku furrowed his brow. He knew how much Kikyo meant to Inuyasha. But, he also knew that Kikyo had always been a free spirit, and had always wondered if she could really make a permanent life anywhere. "But, perhaps, there is a silver lining in this dark cloud somewhere."

"Shut up, and stop sounding so poetic, Miroku." Inuyasha snapped, with no true animosity behind it. "Just...shut up and eat, okay?"

***There will be more! I would love it if you would take time to review, but no sweat. :) I hope this is a good start for this chapter. Thanks so much for reading! **


	3. Late Again

***I own none of the Inuyasha characters. * **

_Three Days Later_

_"What a beautiful morning," _was the first thought that entered Kagome's mind as she opened her eyes. Her bedroom was fairly diminutive in size, but she liked the above her bed. The morning sunlight filtered through. lighting up the room and starting her day. Kagome blearily rubbed her eyes, and glanced at the old digital clock on her nightstand. _"Mmm 8:00 on a monday morning." _she paused, processing her thoughts. "Monday morning,"she whispered, her eyes widening in recognition. "8:00, on a...Monday! Oh my god!" She jumped out of bed, tangling her legs up in her sheets with her haste. She clutched for the bedspread, missing as she tumbled to the floor.

"Oh no, oh no"she repeated to herself, frantic now. She was two hours late. She was supposed to arrive at 6:00, and open by 7:00. Kagome untangled her legs, paying no mind to the uncomfortable bruise developing. She grabbed her cell phone, which was also on her nightstand, and made a call. She waited, nervously biting her lip. "Oh my god, please answer!"

"Hel-"

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Sango, I'm still at home. I must have over-slept and-It's already 8:15! Okay, so there's a key buried in the flow-"

"in the flowerpot by the door. Kagome, breathe!"

Kagome smiled, despite her upset state. Sango was always so calm and so...so...

"I'm already at the bakery Kagome." Sango's voice sounded very soothing, even over the phone. She had been Kagome's friend since childhood. She knew how to handle her friend no matter how flustered she got. "I figured you had an exhausting night last night, seeing as you insist I take so many days off, and that you just needed more sleep. I'm here, everything is up and running and waiting for you." Sango paused before adding, "but take your time. You work too much, hun. See you soon, but not too soon, alright?" She hung up.

Kagome laughed quietly. _"Always so calm and dependable Sango." _Sighing heavily, she lifted herself to her feet, and set about getting ready. She didn't really need too much time. A quick shower, and a quick breakfast of toast, and she'd be ready to go.

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_"Why the hell am I here?" _Inuyasha grunted, folding his arms across his chest. Here he was, outside of that damned bakery again. "Miroku!" he growled, "this is _your _bleeding fault!" Inuyasha reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out his phone. He was going to give that damned busybody a piece of his mind.

"Inuyasha, how are you tod-"

"Miroku," Inuyasha hissed, cutting his friend's greeting short. "This was a stupid idea. Why in the hell do you convince me to do these things? Why can't you just mind your own business, like a normal, good friend, huh? This is the last time I take your advice! If you think that-"

"Where is my error in all this, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, not really expecting an answer. "You're a big boy, you have your own free will. You didn't have to do it you know. But that girl's been plaguing your mind. Mark my words, I know the feeling my friend."Miroku took a deep breath, in preparation for what Inuyasha assumed would be one of his long-winded and highly embellished stories about his many romantic dalliances.

"Please, spare me Miroku."

"Well, You've talked about her for days now." Miroku said, slightly hurt at his friend's impatience with what he considered one of his best tales. "She's obviously been on your mind."

_"And my dreams..." _Inuyasha made sure to keep that thought to himself. Sighing he said, "Whatever, just remember for the future!" He hung up before Miroku could inquire exactly what he was supposed to 'remember,' and why.

_"Eh, might as well..." _Inuyasha thought, as he slid the bakery's wooden door open, and stepped inside.

The bakery was a small-shop, with naught but a few tables and chairs. The smell was quite intoxicating to Inuyasha's heightened dog-demon nose. He did not take too much time observing the shop, and instead marched up to the counter. He was simultaneously relieved and dismayed to see a different woman standing there.

"Hi," the woman smiled, "May I help you sir?"

Inuyasha nodded. She had a pleasant and sincere smile. That was something he rarely saw in his profession. She was taller than the mystery girl he had expected to see. Her hair was longer, and much straighter too. "I'd, uh, like a mocha and a... donut please."Inuyasha gritted out, his nerves making his words sound a little more harsh than usual.

"Yes, right away." the woman smiled again, before turning to ask, "exactly how do you like your mochas?"

"Huh? Oh, i'm not really particular I guess."

"Alright..."

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Sango glanced at the door of the bakery. _"I cannot wait to tell Kagome about this weirdo." _She thought to herself, as she hurried to comply with her current customer's demands. _"I guess this guy just doesn't order coffee much." _"Any particular kind of donut?" Sango asked the silver-haired gentleman in front of counter.

"Ah... that one." The man pointed at a donut in the display. "Doesn 't really matter." He mumbled, pulling out a thick wallet. "Here. Keep the change."

"Well, uh, thank you." Sango handed the man his completed drink, and carefully slipped his donut of choice into a pastry bag, careful not to disrupt the layer of chocolate frosting. _"Weird guy, but generous." _she thought to herself. _"Kagome may be sad she missed out on this after all."_

Inuyasha groaned inwardly. _"Great. Here I am, buying a drink I don't like, and a donut I won't eat. All in the hopes of seeing some girl that I ran into and thought worked at some stupid, hole-in-the-wall bakery. Just great." _He was so engulfed in his thoughts, he did not hear the sound of the door sliding open.

Crash!

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Kagome rushed down the street, putting her hair in a tight ponytail as she ran. "So late, so late, so late!" she frantically mumbled. She had to stop running to adjust her shoe, but was up in a moment. "Ah! I'm here!" Without even slowing down, Kagome threw open the bakery door and ran right into the figure attempting to walk out.

"Oof!" she grunted. And then she gasped, shocked at what she had just done. One of her customers stood there, sopping wet, drenched in whatever hot drink he'd just ordered. A chocolate donut lay, frosting-side-down on the floor by her right leg. Scrambling to her feet Kagome felt her face turn bright red in embarassment.

"Oh... my god. I'm so very sorry. Let me get you a napkin, or two napkins or..." _"Oh good god, it's HIM! Why do these kinds of things always happen to me?!" _Kagome kept muttering fervent apologies, careful not to let any sign of recognition slip. She just wanted this whole day to be over. What else could go wrong?

"You've... ruined my shirt." He was staring at her, with no readable expression on his face.

"I'm so very sorry, is there anything I can-"

"Here's my card." The all-too-familiar stranger interrupted her. "There's an address."

Kagome, puzzled, started to ask, "What for?"but she was again cut off.

"The dry cleaning expense." The silver-haired figure nodded slowly, and walked out the door.

***So, as with all previous chapters... I still love reviews ^^ I don't know if it's alright to name names, but theres one particular person I'd like to thank for their review. :) So, thanks NekoxUSA! I really appreciate your feedback!**

**Anyway, I hope to add more to this actual chapter ^_^ let me know what you all think so far! Thanks so much for taking the time to read.***


	4. Today's the Day

***I do not own any of the Inuyasha Characters!* Thank you to everyone for reading, and reviewing. :D I'm so pleased! I am trying my best to update quickly. :D **

"And then, he just hands me a business card and says, 'for the dry cleaning.' I mean can you believe that?! What a jerk! I mean who acts like that? It was an accident, you know. Yes, fine, I messed up the shirt a little, but that doesn't mean-"

"Kagome, I was there, you know." Sango interrupted her friend's angry tirade. "And-"

"Well?!" Kagome whirled around the bakery counter, needlessly futzing and fidgeting to channel her agitation. "Am I wrong?! I don't think so, and you know what else-" She grabbed the little stiff piece of paper the very rude individual had handed her. "I'm not even sorry!"

"I see..." Sango nodded, not wanting to disagree with anything Kagome said at this point. "Um, Kagome, don't crinkle that too much. You... do need it."

"Wha-oh..." Kagome looked down, and saw the crumpled scrap of paper in her hands. "Right... Oh Sango," She rushed to the little window at the front of the store, and turned the 'Open' sign over to the 'Closed' side. "Sango," she repeated, collapsing in a chair. "This day has just been, well, you know."

"Yeah, hun," Sango pulled a chair up beside Kagome, sat down, and started to rub her friend's back. "It's been hard. And tomorrow being what it is... I can understand. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Kagome sat up straight, wiping her watering eyes. "Sango, just be my best friend. Like always." She smiled, hoping to assure Sango that she wasn't as depressed as she felt.

"Well, let's see where you'll be, uh... delivering money tomorrow, shall we?" Sango gently pried Kagome's hands apart, releasing the bent business card.

"Oh, I'd almost forgotten..." Kagome trailed off, as she picked up the business card. "Oh no...Sango, he's a _lawyer._"

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><p><em><span>The Next Day<span>_

"Inuyasha, you can't be serious! You bumped into her, and now you're charging her for dry-cleaning? I don't know if I should laugh or cry." In fact, Miroku did both; he laughed so hard and so long, he was crying buckets of tears by the end of it all.

"I know, I know, I just didn't really know what to say, and..." Inuyasha clenched his fists against the large leather armrests of his chair. Annoyed, he reached across his desk and pinched Miroku's arm. "Just shut the hell up for a second, okay?!"

"Well, how much did you charge her?" Miroku fought to keep his self control.

"Oh... now that you mention it, I didn't really charge her a specific amount. I just handed her my card with the building's address." Inuyasha clasped his hands together and leaned back in his chair.

Miroku's eyes widened. "So, she has no clue how much to bring? Heaven's sake, Inuyasha, haven't you ever talked to a woman before?" Miroku found himself becoming slightly irritated with his friend's behavior. "You know, I don't even think you should really be charging her anything. You ran me over yesterday, and probably did the same thing to her." He pushed his own chair back and stood up. "And another thing," Miroku folded his arms, "I doubt you were very polite either. I think you should issue her an apology and forget the whole thing. _You _were the one who accosted her in the alleyway, and she was kind enough not to demand you repay her for that, wasn't she?"

"Okay, okay..." Inuyasha cut in, hoping to stop his friend from launching into another very long, arduous manners lecture.

"Ah, good." Miroku smiled widely. "So you'll apologize then?"

"Yes. Now shut up." Inuyasha growled.

A knock at the door made them both look up. Before Inuyasha could say, "come in," someone came in. The young, red-headed demon burst through the double doors of Inuyasha's office. "Inuyasha, I've been calling you for ever! You never answer your phone, and that's not acceptable for someone in your position. In fact, I think I should report it to-"

"Shippou," Inuyasha stood up in an instant, and was at the young fox demon's side. "I remember when you were so short, I could barely see you without a microscope." He slid his arm around Shippou's shoulder. "How hard would I have to smack you on the head to make you that short again?" He turned to Miroku, smiling. "I think I could do it."

"Inuyasha," Shippou tried to sound stern, but failed. "I'll have you know that this is important. There's a lady downstairs waiting for you."

Miroku chuckled and muttered, "Let the fun begin, eh?"

"How is that important Shippou? Forget it, and just send her up." Inuyasha glared at his friend, his superior hearing having picked up his remark.

"Well," Shippou shrugged Inuyasha's arm off of his shoulder, "that's just it, boss." He looked down nervously. "She says she refuses to come up. She wants you to come down. She said, 'I've been accommodating enough, he can meet me halfway, can't he?" She looks a little unhappy.

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><p>Sango glanced at her watch, impatiently. How long could this man need to come downstairs? Sure, it was quite a large building, but this was the twenty-first century. <em>"Buildings have elevators these days so rude, inconsiderate people don't need to make others wait for a year and a half" <em>She placed her hands on her hips.

Ding!

_"Finally! I thought I'd go grey first." _Sango turned to face the elevator, which was on the left of the rather large and lavish lobby she was standing in. There were many comfortable looking chairs, but in the mood she was in, Sango felt more comfortable standing. Sango approached the elevator, and did not hesitate in addressing the silver-haired half-demon that stepped out. "Hello, I believe we have business to discuss." She smiled, a very fake smile.

"You're not her." Inuyasha rasped out, quite surprised to this particular female in the lobby of his building.

"No, I'm not. Glad you can tell the difference." Sango started, her hands still on her hips. "I am a friend of hers. She can't come today because she has things of consequence that need doing. However, I have bone to pick with you. How dare you come in to her bakery, and demand some unknown sum of money for supposed dry cleaning." Sango paused for breath. "Now, instead of demanding that she show up with money, how about you come get your money, if you think you're owed it. Jerk!" Letting out a large, exasperated sigh, Sango turned on her heels and marched out of the large turnstyle door, and disappeared onto the city streets.

Mouth open, Inuyasha could only stare after her. Miroku, who had also been in the elevator was also equally stunned. Finally, he walked up to stand beside his friend and said, rather quietly, "Well, that was different than what I expected."

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><p>Kagome surveyed the bakery. It was closing time, and she was glad today. She'd had a rough few days, and she just could not wait to get back to her cozy, comforting apartment and be alone. She closed her eyes, thinking about what today meant to her. It marked the anniversary of what would forever be the saddest day of her life. She'd lost her mother and her grandfather exactly four years ago. She'd come home from school to find a burnt pile of ash and wood where her home had been just that morning.<p>

Kagome opened her eyes, refusing to think about the past yet. _"I can do that at home. I just have clean up and get ready for tomorrow. I can't be remiss.__"_ She squared her shoulders. But it was too late. She took two steps, and then collapsed. She covered her face with her apron and cried. She cried all the tears she saved all year. Every time she thought of her family, she felt like crying. But this day was the one day she could let it out. Unfortunately, she was still at work, but this time she did not care. Sango had gone home already; Kagome was completely alone.

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><p>He almost didn't go in. Inuyasha had debated long and hard about what he was to do about this problem he had created. He'd decided to take care of it today. So, there he was, again, standing outside of Higurashi Bakery. He observed the closed sign, and turned to walk away, when he saw her there. She was sitting, with her back to the door, shaking. Even from outside, he could smell the salt of tears. Inuyasha slid the wooden door open, and, with one motion, picked the young woman up off the floor, setting her down in one of the wooden bakery chairs.<p>

She blinked, staring up at him with sweet brown eyes. Even through the puffy redness caused by her tears, he found her eyes enchanting. He stared at her for a while, and she stared right back. All of a sudden, he smiled slightly, leaned forward and said softly, "You've had a rough time of it. Let's get you home." He laughed at her expression. "A gentleman's offer, I assure you. You can pay me tomorrow."

Kagome found herself nodding.

**Thanks so much for reading ^_^ more shall come! I promise! **


	5. It's Him!

**I own no Inuyasha characters!**

**I Hope you guys like this!**

Miroku impatiently stared down at his phone. "Huh, like I'm surprised," he mused aloud to himself. "Inuyasha is already fourty-five minutes late." Rolling his eyes at his friend's blatant disregard for anything close to punctuality, Miroku lifted the phone to his ear. It rang for several seconds.

"Hey."Inuyasha's voice was brisk and clipped.

"Hey..." Miroku ventured, before asking, suspiciously, "Inuyasha, where are you? Why do I hear running water?"

"Dammit Miroku, I'm doing the dishes," Inuyasha snapped through gritted teeth. "I'm at that stupid bakery. I'm taking her home, but she said there were a few things she needed to do before closing and-well- I could just leave her in the state she was in! Gah!" Inuyasha grunted, becoming agitated by his predicament. "She doesn't live far. Just down the street in some apartment building-"

"Taking her home... Dishes...Taking her...apartment...home?"

"Yes. I can't talk now. I'll meet you for drinks later, okay? The Den, alright? At, say, ten. Bye." Inuyasha hung up the phone before Miroku even had time to process their conversation. He'd been at this damned bakery for about an hour now, wiping up counters, and putting away sticky, messy donuts and cakes and muffins. He'd also spilled a great deal of flour on himself, and was currently doing a large load of dishes.

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><p>Kagome said not a word as she watched this handsome acquaintance of hers rush around her bakery prepping for closing. She could hear him cursing softly to himself, opening and closing refrigerator doors. Soon, she could see steam spilling out from the small kitchen in the back of the shop. This Inuyasha fellow had a foul mouth, but also seemed to be a hard worker. He'd bussed the counter and all the tables, swept the floor, and put the baked goods away for tomorrow.<p>

_"I wonder,"_ Kagome thought, yawning. _"I wonder if he knows we have a dishwasher..." _Sleepily, she closed her eyes. _"Just for a second. Just a moment's rest."_

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><p>He found her leaning precariously to one side, her bag tucked beneath her right arm, fast asleep. She was so deep in sleep, that her mouth hung slightly open. "Miss" Inuyasha touched her arm gently. She grunted, attempting to swat clumsily at whatever was trying to rouse her.<p>

"Damn it." Inuyasha shut his eyes tight, rubbing his temples furiously. Why the hell was this kind of thing happening to him recently? "Well," he said to the sleeping girl sitting beside him. "This isn't my fault, so don't get pissed off later," and with that, he hoisted her, bag and all, over one shoulder and walked steadily out the door.

He cursed. _"Of course there's rain. Of course."_ As he turned to face the bakery shop-front, he noticed a small key dangling out of one pocket of the messenger bag. _"Aha... no doubt this is attached to," _Inuyasha yanked on the key with his free hand. "A whole bunch of keys!" He murmered, quite pleased with himself. It took three tries to find which key locked the bakery. Finally, satisfied with his problem solving abilities, Inuyasha turned and made his way down the dark street ahead of him, swinging the ring of keys as he went.

It was night, thankfully. Inuyasha prayed there was no one around to witness this odd scene. But what choice did he have? The rain poured down his forehead, he wiped at it with a damp sleeve. _"Man it's really dumping tonight. I've barely been outside for five minutes and we're both soaked!"_ He remembered the girl had told him she lived in an apartment down the street. Apparently the same street on which they had their first encounter. He grimaced, thinking of the embarrassing memory.

_"But what the hell am I doing now?!"_ Inuyasha wondered, doubting his actions already. He was carrying this woman back to the apartment he _believed_ she lived in, and in the dead of night too. He looked to his right and was shocked to see her upper thigh staring back at him. A gust of wind ruffled the young woman's skirt, and he looked away quickly, but not before catching a glimpse of red lace. _"Shit."_

The walk down the alleyway seemed endless. His growing 'discomfort' was making the trip quite painstaking. _"I'm so killing Miroku for suggesting any of this. This is his fault." _In truth, he felt more like thanking his friend. This thought lingered in Inuyasha's mind as he finally reached the end of the dark alley, which had, to his dismay, contained a great deal of ripe, festering smells. Taking breath of somewhat-fresher air, Inuyasha approached the large apartment building which was directly across the street from the alley's opening. Looking both ways, thought not overly attentively, Inuyasha darted across the street.

This, he decided, was nothing like Kikyo's building. Where Kikyo's building had quaint flowerboxes in every window, this building had bars. There was an old-style buzzer system, not the fancy keycard and key-pad machine Inuyasha had grown quite familiar with. He found himself at a loss. How the hell was he supposed to get in? Then he smiled. _"Right. I got the keys." _Inuyasha reached out and unlocked the heavy apartment door. He grunted, manuvering himself and his cargo through the doorway. _"Apartment 2B" _He made his way up two flights of stairs, and turned down a musty hallway.

"Ah!" He'd made his way almost to the end of the hallway before finding the right apartment. "Here we are,"He unlocked the door, and made his way inside.

* * *

><p>Kagome woke up on her bed. Nothing unusual about that. She was also in her bedroom. None of these facts would have surprised her, if there hadn't been a strange man sitting in her desk chair. The man wasn't facing her, so she figured this was the time for action. She slowly raised herself up off of her bed. That was odd. She felt...wet. Someone had wrapped her up in several of her bath towels. She reasoned it must be the man in the chair, as he was currently using one of the towels to dry his hair. His <em>silver <em>hair.

"Oh!"she gasped, unable to stop hersef. "It's you!"

And then she screamed.

* * *

><p>Inuyasha leapt out of the chair, and clapped his hand over the girl's mouth. "It's not what you think! You fell asleep and-"<p>

Kagome's eyes widened, as the memory of falling asleep in the bakery came back to her. She closed her mouth, feeling the blush she knew was coming spread across her cheeks. "Oh... right. I'm so sorry. I guess I'm a little disoriented."

"Understandable." Inuyasha found her eyes captivating. _"I've seen brown eyes before." _He thought to himself. But he'd never seen any like hers before. None with so much, so much, _"So much soul..." _he let out a breath.

"Anyway,"Kagome continued, smiling hesitantly. "I see you tried to help me dry off. I assume it was raining and..."She trailed off. She was wet. He was wet. She'd fallen asleep at the bakery. "You carried me home?" she asked timidly, her blush deepening.

Inuyasha nodded, the sight of her reddening cheeks making focusing difficult.

"You don't even know my name!" She continued, standing up, and placing her hands on her hips. This made him grin, although he did not know it.

"That's not my fault."He pointed out, laughing a little. "You never told me. So, what is your name?"

She blinked, and then said, with indignation, "It's Kagome. And don't go forgetting it, now that you finally know."

**So I read and re-read this several times, but I am using a tablet, so please have some patience with any technical errors. Thanks so much to everyone who is reading and thanks to everyone who reviewed as well! Also, I would LOVE reviews on this chapter especially. ;D thanks all!**


	6. Getting to Know You

***I do not own any of the Inuyasha Characters* Hi all! I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has read my story, and give a very super-duper thank you to those of you who have reviewed it. I really appreciate all your support, thoughts, and constructive criticisms. Thanks again! o3 GreenMinnie o3**

Kagome stared, slack-jawed, at the state of her apartment. Leading from the entryway to almost every corner of the small domain were wet, muddy footprints. "My apartment," she breathed, turning to look at Inuyasha, who looked back at her guiltily from her desk chair.

"I...well, I was looking for the towels." He stared back at her quite indignantly. She nodded.

_"I see. So you were helping." _She thought, excusing her guests poor behavior. He'd even left his filthy shoes on, taking them off only before entering her room. This was apparent to her, because she tripped over his shoes as she exited the bedroom.

"Sorry, I should have taken them off sooner, I guess," Inuyasha called out sheepishly.

"That's alright," Kagome stood up, brushing herself off. "You were quite kind to go through all the trouble of getting me home, no matter how you did it." She smiled, a sight that sent a small jolt of pleasure up his spine. "Why don't I offer you some, uh, late dinner instead." She crossed the small living area, gesturing to a crockpot that was sitting on the kitchen stove.

"Well," Inuyasha considered for a moment, "Dinner sounds great, actually," he lifted himself out of the wooden chair. As he rose, he happened to notice a small picture on the right hand side of the desk. A young man's face stared back, his arm around Kagome and a huge smile on his face. Inuyasha felt a moment of agitation, and then shook it off, following his hostess out of the room. He sat down at the low table, and watched her move around the kitchen, which was directly opposite the bedroom. He leaned on the table with one elbow, watching Kagome intently. Her scent was quite appealing, he realized.

"How much?" Kagome's question startled the half-demon out of his thoughts.

"It smells good," he sniffed, finally noticing the smell of the beef stew. "As much as I can have," he laughed, rising to his feet.

"Well, there is plenty-" Kagome stopped abruptly. She'd turned around to address her guest, and found him standing quite close. "Um..." She looked down, hoping that she could conceal the blush she felt starting to spread across her face.

Inuyasha looked down at the girl standing in front of him. Her face was turning a slight pink, and he chuckled softly. She was a very enticing creature, he decided. He cocked his head to one side, and said, grinning, "Plenty is good. Demons have an appetite," and with that, he reached around her, his arm sweeping her closer to his body, "Thanks." He grabbed the full bowl of stew off the counter behind her, and returned to his place at her table. Kagome stood still for a few seconds before taking a deep breath, and taking her own bowl to the table to join him.

"So," Inuyasha glanced up at the dark-haired girl sitting across from him. She was primly bringing a spoonful of soup to her lips. He smiled a little. "I wanna know about you. I mean, I carried you to your own home, didn't I? And I have no idea who you are." He laughed at her surprised expression.

"You're right!" She conceded. "I feel badly, making you do all that." She smiled back, shyly.

"Not a problem." Inuyasha paused, and then asked, "I was in your room, and I saw a picture on your desk. Who's in the picture with you?"

Breaking into a wide grin, Kagome replied, "That's my brother. Souta. He's all grown up now, or at least he thinks so," she laughed softly. "He's in boarding school right now. It's been pretty rough on me. Ever since-" Kagome stopped, her smile fading. "He's very important to me." She finished.

"I see..." Inuyasha sensed she had become uncomfortable. They ate in silence for a few minutes, before Kagome piped up.

"So," she asked, "About that night we met..."

Inuyasha coughed, choking on a piece of stewed onion. "O-oh..." He recovered, face slightly red. "I'd just met my," he stopped for a second. "Well, my ex-girlfriend I guess. I'd just met her for dinner at her apartment, and we had an argument. She left, I followed and...well, from the back you look at lot like her."

_"And smell a lot like her too. But, now that I'm so close, I can tell it's different." _He thought.

Kagome giggled. "I see, that makes sense I suppose." Inuyasha found himself swept up in her mirth, and let out a chortle right along with her. "So," She asked, "do you have any siblings?"

"Yes, in fact." Inuyasha replied, before gulping down several hearty spoonfuls of the delicious stew. Wiping his mouth rather boorishly with the back of his hand, he added, "A half-brother."

_"Some manners for a lawyer!" _Kagome thought to herself. But out loud, she asked, "Oh? What's his name? Do you see him often?"

"Well, Sesshoumaru just happens to be my boss, so I see him on quite a regular basis," He responded, before murmuring, "wish it was less regular."

Kagome, unaware of his comment, continued her questioning between small sips and bites of her dinner. "I wish I could see Souta more often, but he only comes home for holidays. Actually, this year he's staying for summer classes." She rushed to clarify, "He's not behind, mind you! He's actually hoping to try for early entrance at an American University. He says he wants to be ahead in all his studies." Kagome sighed, her smile empty and hollow. "Sometimes, I wonder if he's forgotten what ...what things were like." She shook her head, brightening up again. "Never mind about all that."

They continued to talk and eat, exchanging questions and answers, learning more about the other. After a while, Kagome stood up, picked up her empty bowl and said, "I'd take your bowl, but I think you can manage." She threw him a mischievous smile.

"I think I can manage," Inuyasha laughed, picking up his bowl and joining her at the small kitchen sink. Placing his dish in the sink, he turned and said, "That was great. I haven't really had a home-cooked meal in...well, quite a while." He stopped, then smiled. "At least not one that's any good anyway."

Kagome raised an eyebrow before turning on the warm water. "What does that mean?" She asked, rinsing the bowls and reaching for the sponge.

"Well, I don't count what Miroku makes."

"Miroku?"

"Yes," Inuyasha started, "Miroku is-" he stopped. _"Oh shit!" _He dug into his pocket, and pulled out his cell phone. "Miroku!" he groaned.

* * *

><p>Miroku glanced out of the window. It was almost midnight, and his legs were getting stiff from sitting in the not-so-comfortable booth. The bar was reasonably busy, filled with mostly demons. The owner was a feisty wolf-demon who enjoyed his work immensely.<p>

"Aaah, Miroku," the afore-mentioned wolf-demon slid into the booth opposite Miroku. "Waiting for dog-breath, eh?"

Miroku nodded, "Yes, I am afraid Inuyasha is, as usual, late."

"Ugh," Kouga held his nose in over-exaggerated disgust. "Don't worry, I can smell him coming." Getting up from the booth, Kouga made his way back behind the bar. Sure enough, Inuyasha came bursting through the front door thirty seconds later.

"Miroku!" He was gasping for breath as he reached his friend's table.

"Uh, Inuyasha, please," Miroku gestured to the empty seat across from him. "Sit." Inuyasha sat. "Now," Miroku continued, "What happened?"

"First, drinks." Inuyasha demanded. Miroku agreed. The two friends sat, sipping on their drinks and diving into a plate of sinfully greasy chili cheese fries. Inuyasha started to explain the evening's events to his friend.

"So, I was at the bakery and-"

"Wait, Inuyasha," Miroku held up a hand. "What's she like?"

"Huh?"

"The girl, Kagome," Miroku said, a touch impatiently. "What's she look like?"

_"She's beautiful," _Inuyasha thought. "She's pretty, I guess," he replied instead. "She's got nice eyes," _"nice thighs," _"pretty hair...I don't know, Miroku."

"Alright, continue." Miroku tapped his chin as he listened to the rest of his friend's story. "Well I'll be!" he exclaimed when Inuyasha had finished.

"Listen, Miroku," Inuyasha stretched, "Let's just keep this between me and you, okay?"

"Oh sure." Miroku smiled slyly. "Listen, Inuyasha, how about you get the check?"

Inuyasha nodded, "Sure."

"Thanks! Oh, I had a few drinks while I was waiting. Bye now." Miroku hurriedly exited the bar.

"Hey, dog-breath!" Kouga had sauntered over to Inuyasha, who was starting to reconsider his generous offer. "Here's the check," smirking, Kouga handed Inuyasha a very lengthy bill. "Don't cry now. Pay up like a man."


End file.
